Sprinkler-head.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1903.

C. W. KERSTETER. SPRINKLEB. HEAD.

APPLmATIoN FILED MAY 1u, 1902.

.No MODEL.'

x oftwo overlapping parts, which for the sake `CI-IAQRLES: W. KERSTETER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. n

SPRlNKLER-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 723,161, dated March 17, 1903. Application ledwllliay 10,1902. Serial No. 106,723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concerihf `Be it known that LCHARLEs W. KERSTETER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, `in the countyofCook and State ot Illi-` nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprinkler-Heads for Auto` matic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specilication.

The lpresent invention relates in part to a sprinkler of the struttype, inwhich the `cap of the nozzle is held in place by a com-` positestrut arranged between it and the yoke of the sprinkler; and the object of this part` of the invention is to provide a strut of im` proved construction. l The strut is composed ofdistinction will hereinafter be designated by the terms post and lever,A respectively. The lever has near one of its ends a shoulder uponl which the end of the post bears, and the post at the opposite end ofthe strut projects beyond the end of the lever,`

their overlapping portions being secured together by some suitable means, preferably by an interposed film of solder. The parts are so constructed that the point of contact between the end of the post and the shoulder of the lever is at one side of a straight line passing through the strut from one to the other of the points of contact at its opposite ends, so that when the overlapping parts are `freed from restraint the pressure of the post l upon the offset shoulder ofthe lever will tend to rock the lever and move its overlapping portion away from the post. y A strut having the above-described charac teristics is not new, nor is it new to provide such a strut with a key made of hard metal which contacts with the outside faces of the post and lever and issoldered to them.

The present invention, so far as the construction ofthe strut is concerned, consists the advantages of a key thus constructed and arranged are that it is of simple construction,

this part of the invention i's tosimplify the construction, minimize the number of parts, and increase the stability and efficiency thereot'. In carrying out this part of the invention the yoke is rigidwith an annular dia'.- phragrn having a marginal flange, and this diaphragm isintegral with an annular flange which provides a seat *for the cap and also with an annular 'flange which projects into a coupling having threaded engagement with the distributing-pipe ot' the system and having also threaded engageinent'with the marginal iiange of the diaphragm. This feature of the invention is applicable to sprinklers generally, whether of the so-called strut type or of any other type.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a sprinkler-head embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the strut. Figs. 3 and ft are respectively a longitudinal and a transverse section of the strut.

The strut is made up of a post A, a lever B, and a key C. The lever has near one of its ends a shoulder h, upon which one extremity a of the post bears, and the overlapping portions of the post and lever are preferably secured together by an interposed film vof solder a'. rlhe point of contact between the end a of the post and the shoulder b of the lever is at one side of a straight line drawn through the points at opposite ends of the strut, with which it has contact with the cap D and the yoke E, respectively, so that when the parts are freed the portion of the lever which overlaps the post will move away from said post, as indicated by the arrow. The portion CL2 of the' post whichV projects beyond the end of the lever is reduced in width, as shown in Fig. l, and this reduction eX- tends somewhat past the end of the lever, so that the shoulder a3, resulting therefrom, is

within the end of the lever or, in other words,

between the end of the lever and the shoulderb thereof. The object of this is to provide clearance for the-key C, which comprises a portion c, lying against the outer face of the projecting portion a2 of the post, portions c',

which form-angles with the portion c and cross4 1 he planes of the post and the overlapping portion of the lever, and portions c2, which form angles with the portions c/ and lie against the 'outer face of the lever, the key being secured in place by solder.

The seat for the cap D preferably consists of an annular flange F, which is rigid, with an annular diaphragm "Gr, having an annular marginal fiange H,which is preferably threaded on its exterior to engage corresponding threads of the flange I of a coupling, which is also threaded at t'- for connection with the distributing-pipe of the system. The yoke E is rigid with the diaphragm G, the yoke, the diaphragm, the seat for the cap, and the flange of the diapl'iragln being preferably made of a single piece of phosphor-bronze or other metal `that will answer the requirements. The diaphrag-n'l is preferably made sufliciently thin to give it a slight degree of elasticity, so that, while rigidly connected, there will be a slight relative movement between the seat for the cap and the far side of the yoke, against which the strut bears. This is advantageous in all types ofsprinklers, and especially where the cap itself is without any elasticity. I prefer, however, even with the elastic diaphragm, to give the rap a certain degree of elasticity, and this is preferably done by making it of the well-known cellular form. Regardless of the elasticity of the diaphragm the annular lange F, rising from it and providing a seat for the cap, is of importance, since it enables the locatingr of the seat considerably above the top surface of the diaphragm, and therefore out of the recess or depression resulting from the marginal flange H, projecting upward from the diaphragm. This is ofimportance, since if the seat is located in this depression dirt will accumulate at the joint between the seat and the cap, and this may impair the efficiency of the sprinkler.

An advantage incident to making the flange F, the diaphragm Gr, and the flange H of a single piece of metal is that it dispenses with joints that are apt to become leaky.

Jisa tube which is rigid with the diaphragm and projects therefrom and into the bore of the fitting I and serves to complete and make continuous the waterway between the distribut-ing-pipe of the system and the flange F, which in addition to providing a seat for the cap D constitutes the nozzle of the sprinkler.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Astrut for sprinkler-heads having overlapping parts, one projecting beyond the end of the other, and a bent key having a portion lying against the outer face of the aforesaid projecting portion of one of the parts, a porthe corresponding end of the other, and a bent key having a portion lying against the outer face of the projecting vportion of the post, a portion forming an angle with the portion first aforesaid and crossing the planes of the overlapping portions of the post and lever and a portion yforming an angle with the portion second aforesaid and lying against the outer face of the lever, the parts being secured together by fusible joints, substantially as described.

3. A strut for sprinklerheads having a shouldered lever, a post bearing at one end upon the shoulder of the leverand at the other end projecting beyond the end of the lever,and a bent key having a portion lying against the outer face of the projecting portions of the post, a portion forming an angle with the portion first aforesaid and crossing the planes of the post and lever, and a portion forming an angle with the portion second aforesaid and lying against the outer face of the lever, substantially as described.

4. In a strut for sprinkler-heads, the combination of a shouldered lever, a post overlapping a portion of said lever and bearing at one end against the shoulder thereof, the opposite end of the post being extended beyond the corresponding end of the lever and being also reduced in width, a bent key having a portion lying against the outer face of the projecting portion of the post, a portion forming an angle with the portion first aforesaid and crossing the planes of the post and lever, and a portion forming an angle with the portion second aforesaid and lying against the outer face of the lever, the parts being soldered together, substantially as described.

5. A strut for sprinkler-heads having a shouldered lever, a post overlapping the lever and bearing at one end against the shoulder thereof, the other end of the post being extended beyond the corresponding end of the lever and reduced in width from its extremity to a point between the shoulder and the end of the lever, and a bent key having a portion lying against the outer face of the projecting portion of the post, a portion forming an angle with the `portion first aforesaid and crossing the planes ofthe overlapping portions of the post and lever, and a portion forming an angle with the portion second aforesaid and lying against the outer face of the lever, the parts being fusibly united, substantially asy described.

6. A strut for sprinkler-heads havinga lever, a post overlapping a portion of the lever,

IOO

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said post bearing at one end against the lei ver and being extended at the other end be- 4yond the corresponding end of the lever, the `extended portion of the post being of less width thanthe lever, and a bent key having a portion lying against the projecting portion of the post, portions forming angles with the i portion first aforesaid and located upon opposite sides ofV the projecting portion of the post and crossing the planes of the post and lever, and portions forming angles with the portions second aforesaid and lying against i the outer face of the lever, the parts being j i fusibly united, substantially as described.

7. A strut for sprinkler-heads having two overlapping parts and a key, said bent key havinga portion lying against the outer face of one of said parts, portions forming angles i with the portion first aforesaid and straddling said part and crossing the planes of the two parts, and portions forming angles with the portions second aforesaid and Alying against the outerv face of the other of said parts, the parts being Afusibly united, substantially as 8. A sprinkler-head having a yoke, a flexi- -ble diaphragm rigid with the yoke, an annular flange carried `by the diaphragm and having a seat, a cap resting upon said seat, and" for the' cap, a flexible annular diaphragm carrying the seat, a marginal flange integral with the diaphragm, a yoke integral with the mar'- ginal flange, and means interposed between the yoke and the cap for holding the cap in place, substantially as described..

1l. A sprinkler-head having a cap, a seat for the cap, a flexible annular flange carrying said seat, an annular diaphragm integral with said flange, a marginal flange integral with the diaphragm, a yoke integral with the marginal flange, and means interposed between the yoke and the cap for holding the cap in place, substantially as described.

l2. A sprinkler-head having a cap, a seat` for the cap, an annular diaphragm carrying the seat, a marginal Iiangerigid with the diaphragm and threaded on its exterior, a yoke carried by the marginal flange, means interposed between the yoke and the cap for holding the cap in place, atting having a marginal fiange provided on its interior with threads engaging the threads of the flange aforesaid, and means for securing said fitting to the distributing-pipe, substantially as described.

V13. A sprinkler-head having a cap, a seat for the cap, an annular diaphragm carrying the seat, a yoke carried by the diaphragm, means interposed between the yoke and the cap for holding the cap in place, a fitting carrying the diaphragm and having means for connectingit with the distributing-pipe and a tube carried by the diaphragm and projecting into the fitting, substantially as described.

CHARLES W. KERS'IETER.

Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, BELLA EVANS. 

